#rose something

You looked sideways at the powerful witch. "You let me know if you want an extra hand." Warlocks were easy. If Belthazar was back, they had cause to worry. He had always caused such problems and continually broke Phoebe's heart. You wouldn't be able to stand the consequences of his newest return. 

Piper was a worrier, you knew that. She liked to make sure everyone was safe and cared for. "I don't want you anywhere near what I-"

"I'm a witch too, your majesty. I fight evil just as much as you, but little guys. I can hold my own." You smiled back at her, reluctantly as well. She was married, you reminded yourself. To an Elder never allowed to be around, but married nonetheless. And they had a son, and a whitelighter. You offered to help as another servant of Good, but you couldn't get involved. 

You knew that. 

But their whitelighter was fond of you. Every time they called you in on a 'family emergency', he was the most open with you. You found it bizarre. Did you know future boy from when he was from? "When are you gonna sell that rundown shop?" Chris asked the next time you went that way. 

You laughed, helping Piper separate the herbs. You loved two-person potions. They required chemistry. While you knew it was wrong, it also felt like validation. Like you hadn't done anything wrong... alone. The married gal felt something for you. But you were good friends. Perhaps you truly were evil, and only seeing what you wanted to, and catching feelings for a married woman. 

Chris held his head, like he got a dentist drilling his teeth and giving him a headache. Piper had once explained the feeling of a charge in their head from when she'd traded powers with her... husband. 

You had to keep remembering him. You carried on, because there was no way anyone picked up on that idle thought. "I don't plan to. I imagine I'll work there until I die." 

Chris laughed under his breath and shook his head in vague argument. "I'm gonna go check in with Paige, see if that drawing trick is coming along." So he went upstairs, but stayed on the middle platform, listening in on who he'd left alone. He was doing his best to follow the timeline, but his parental generation was stubborn. He had to clap a hand over his mouth at the corny jokes you made at the woman, worse than he'd imagined when being told how you got started. 

But your jokes weren't enough. His mom was lonely, he could see it, and he was sick of it. 

Orbing into your shop, not a gentle way to reunite. You jumped and dropped your new shipment of crystal balls. Chris was only able to save the amount he could hold, two. He grimaced at you from the awkward position he was in. He was hunched sideways, one knee up to help balance the ball he had a less sturdy grip on. 

With a sigh, you took one of the remaining crystals. “We’ll just put them out, then, won’t we,” you said rhetorically. You walked through the worker’s passageways. 

“I’ll work for free to pay for that,” he offered boyishly.

You laughed at him over your shoulder, pleasing him as you obviously wasn’t too mad. You never had been at him and he was glad you didn’t start. You led him out into the main shop, to the table not sparcely decorated, but well decorated. It made the table look a little cramped with the additions, but you’d sort it later. “I think you’d just break more.” 

“I’m not that bad,” the man argued, backing into an insense table. If it wasn’t for his telekinesis, you’d make him stay to re-color code the types. Instead, he summoned them from the floor and back where they belonged. 

You took a good look around the shop and out the window, hoping you weren’t too obvious. Humiliation wasn’t your intention. 

“Sorry.” He grimaced. “Look, I just wanted to say… you should come over more. To the manor. Or even P3.” 

You moved to reoganize your display table. Chris came over to help, but the light followed your glare and lightly burned his hand. He didn’t help. “I can’t just appear to help and P3 is awfully public.” 

Chris rolled his eyes over your shoulder, stunned at how dense you were. “Not as a demon hunter, or even a witch. You could just come and dance, buy mo-Piper a drink.” 

Chris was pleased to see your embarassment at the implication and not noticing his slipup. You turned away from the boy, a little put out that he was telling you your business. 

“Dress down. Have some fun,” he babbled, continuing to distract you from his screw up. 

You looked at him sympathetically. “I didn’t know matchmaking was a whitelighter’s job. I know cupids and you are sort of known at angels, but I didn’t think you duti-”

“We don’t,” Chris cut you off. He didn’t want you to talk yourself out of remembering what he said. “But I can feel how Piper feels about you, and I can see how you feel about her.” 

After a moment, you tilted your head to look up at the tall boy. “You can feel what your charges do?” 

Chris shrugged. “Whitelighter thing. Sorry you never got one.”

*

You may not have had a Whitelighter, but you had your own angel. You weren’t sure if you believed it yet, but Chris was right. You were in her kitchen, helping her cook with your menial skills to compliment her chef-worthy cuisine. You were doing as you were told. Then setting the table and cleaning the dishes she was one with. Piper said not a word as she watched you solve one of the any problems she faced nightly. “So, she made her breasts how big?” you asked once your part was done. Mostly. Piper was still cooking so you would have more to clean. 

“Well, it stretched out her shirt once we reversed it,” Piper sassed. That was enough to tell you.

You smiled, covering your lips at her sister’s expense. “And then punched her co-worker.” 

“Well, we Halliwells-”

“-all need a strink!” you finished, laughing lightly before wondering if that was too far. 

“Honey, I’ve said the same thing,” Piper sassed back at you, getting the last food in it’s serving dish. You took turns carrying them all out to the dinning room. 

You winced when she shouted to gather all of the family and distanced yourself from the loud whistle which followed by getting Wyatt. “Hey, there, buddy. We’re about to eat some supper so I thought you might like yours.” You spoke to the kid like he understood you and explained everything you were doing as you did it, giving the kid a bottle. 

You happily cleaned the dishes after the meal and Piper showed her appreciation by staying in the kitchen with you. Wyatt hung in his sun room rocker bed, set on the table while the mom drank a glass of wine after supper. Somehow, she looked softer than usual. It was just you and Piper, not the famous witch, the Charmed One. 

“Thank you, for this.” 

You smiled to yourself. “Well, you provided the sustenence. I best use it.” 

Piper smiled at your back. “You know, you’re always here when I need you.” 

You shrugged, setting a plate in the drain rack. 

“It’s not nothing.” Piper got loud sometimes, never with you, but this was a firm statement she expected you to accept simply because she said it. “A lot of the people in my life haven’t stuck around. And I know everyone has to leave someday, but I’m happy to have you here now.” She felt like that simplified it enough. 

You scrubbed down the last pot, running the sponge back and forth on one side of a circle to keep busy. But your mind was what was really busy. It raced, packed with ideas. You remembered Chris’ encouragement. “Go out with me,” you blurted out. Your eyes bugged. You actually said it. 

“Wh-what?” Piper stammered. 

You set the pot down and turned around to face her. “I know you’re married, and complicated. But I also know you and Leo have not been together since you became a Goddess- and whoa, by the way. That dress, your- whoa.” 

Piper smiled, flattered. 

“A-and I’m not the type to be a mistress. And I don’t want anything major while you’re still married. Not that I’m in the position to demand a-” 

The witch must have frozen you and stepped in front of you because she wasn’t there then she was. She set the wine glass by the sink. 

“I- don’t want it to spill, or break.”

Piper pushed you against the counter, having no care for the glass or the alcohol. Your eyes went onyx at the action and you watched as she slowly leaned in, playing with you. She suddenly looked up in your eyes. “I’ll get a divorce. You’re right.” Then she leaned forward, still teasing. “And we can wait a little longer, right?” she asked confidently, pulling back. 

You surged forward and pressed your lips to the corner of hers. She turned fast, her brown hair swinging as she chased you. You ducked under her arm and raced out the door. “Yes, ma’am!” you responded in a laugh, leaving. 

Piper couldn’t freeze you or you never would have made it out of the kitchen.

*

Weeks of teasing was so hot, but you were turning bitter because of the amount of hot water you weren’t using anymore. Piper had the papers; Leo wasn’t showing up. You were sure he knew Piper’s plan but in any event, you started distancing yourself. More. After the initial terms, you’d tried. But the Halliwell was like a drug and you couldn’t resist. And you just loved hanging out with her. But you wanted to kiss her. Leo did eventually show, but it was a crisis of course so the personal business was put on hold. Of course. Truly, it was right. But you didn’t want to work with the man who’s life you were about to ruin. Technically, already had. 

And now you couldn’t stop thinking about the look she gave when she got back. You kissed her immediately, not giving a damn about her ex who got her into that insaneo situation in the first place. 

But she’d insisted on space so you’d given it to her. Of course, you did. You were waiting in the attic for her to show back up, two hours and a numb butt to prove it. Eventually, you just had to stand. You walked down the steps slowly, not in any hurry, never wanting to rush. You passed Piper’s bedroom to hear Phoebe rambling inside. Frowning, you weren’t one to overlook when Phoebe was nervous. 

Of course it was complicated. 

“Paige and I.. know what happened with you and Leo... last night,” Phoebe finally began to explain. The stone in your stomach came back like it always did. 

Piper laughed, not honestly. She was nervous too. Oh, God, what happened? “Wha- Excuse me.”

The sisters wanted to be sisters. And they were good sisters, they were supporting her. Paige jumped in, “Not because anybody told us or... anything. It’s just... because of Chris.” You frowned. 

“Chris? Why- why would Chris know.. what happened.. last night?”

“Well, because he wouldn’t be here if it didn’t,” Phoebe tried to clue her in. 

You were still trying to deduce what your lover and her ex-husband did. Timeboy was- time boy. Tears welled up in your eyes. He couldn’t- she wouldn’t- they... didn’t....

“Yeah, see, we’ve known for a while. We just didn’t know how to talk to you and Leo about it.” 

Piper wasn’t looking hard enough. “Talk to us about what?” 

You turned and softly pressed yourself against the wall. Piper was pregnant, great, with future boy, better, with Leo’s second son? You stopped listening. You couldn’t help thinking of every time Piper kissed Leo away while she was on an innocent mission and he had a charge. Or an Elder thing. Or when the kisses stopped. But they did more than kiss. 

You were snapped out of your whirlwind thoughts by your name. You looked up at Chris... Halliwell.... And you turned away. You faced the stairs, stumbling your way to them. “Are you-?” 

Piper, your siren, she called to you like she always did. But you couldn’t listen. You glided down the stairs. The turn on the landing let your peripheral see Piper’s fingers flick to keep you there. Only, you were a good witch and therefore free to leave. 

“Y/N, please listen-” You were so sure Piper didn’t have a clue what to say, what excuse to give. 

“Mom loves you,” Chris pleaded, everyone following you down the stairs. Two bundles of orbs tried to block your path, but you burst them before the people could materialize. You ran to your car, and ran from your heartbreak. 

*

You hired help. You had her trained in a week. She was a witch friend so she knew the merchandise. And she knew you had history with a Charmed One. One who came by every day and you avoided without fail. You had the new girl tell her you were gone on vacation every time, but Piper wouldn’t stop. Your heart cracked in your chest all over again every time you saw her. But you just beat yourself up. It was your idiocy that got you in this position in the first place. You knew- you knew it was a bad idea to get involved with a married woman. Hell, you hadn’t even got involved so how were you heartbroken? 

She was in your apartment when you got home. You wanted to send all her lights to burn the shit out of her, but magic didn’t work on good witches so you didn’t bother. You hung up your keys. “Chris?” 

“He says we get together, hard. His words,” she tried to excuse herself from the harsh language. 

Your eyes fell to her stomach, where Chris was. 

Piper brought her hands together, conveniently covering where you were looking. “I thought Leo was going to die. It’s no excuse; we had a plan, but he was dying.” 

You crossed your arms. “Well, now he’s not. He’s not fawning over you, not gonna leave the Elders for you?” 

Piper eyed the ground. “He offered.” 

You nodded. “Should take it.” 

Brown eyes suddenly penetrated you. “What?” 

The floor held your attention now. “You have a kid with him, another on the way. You’re married, in love. Could be happy.” You shrugged. 

The witch watched the familiar motion with her own breaking heart. She had felt for you long before Leo came into her life. You never lied to her about who you were. You explained potions and all the witch stuff early on. A lot was trial and error, but she had her sisters and when she really needed it, she had you. She just wanted the steady, normal handyman. Well, he was a lot less handy and reliable than she had thought. And he didn’t age; not good for the ego. She stepped closer to you. “We tried that. He doesn’t know his priorities.” 

You shrugged again. 

“You’ve always been there for me.” It was like she was just noticing. You finally met her gaze. She smiled, not victory, but what else could this be called? “I’m sorry I never saw it.” She stepped closer to you again. 

Your eyes filled with tears because she did see it, in the end. She saw you and you thought she knew how she felt, but she knew and felt and then did what she did. What else could you have expected? She was always married.

“And I’m sorry I… relapsed. He can go back to heaven and stay there, though, because he signed the papers.” 

You shut your eyes at the news. You’d been waiting weeks to hear Leo even showed up. To not have to argue with him was a relief. But multiple deeds had been done. The tree was poisoned. It would be best all around to start fresh. Plant new roots. Only, Piper couldn’t. “You’re pregnant with his child. You’re going to want him to be around. He's going to want to be around.” 

Piper took one more step to you and you were breathing in each other’s air. “He knows that. I know that. But we’re done. Please.”

You shook your head. Why wasn’t she understanding? “I know we’re all complicated, but you’re really complicated right now.” 

Now, the Charmed One shook her head. “Not anymore. I want you. I want-” She dropped her purse and cupped your face, dragging you in for a long kiss. You held her wrists, but was helpless to the pull, reciprocating in full. One arm looped around your back and pulled you to slide right against the brunette.